Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

UK car tax rises 'won't work'

By Tim Pollard Motoring Issues 29 May 2008 10:56 The UK Government's proposed tax rises won't deter drivers from picking a high-CO2 car, new research by CAR reveals. We surveyed more than 1000 motorists and asked if the new charges – quadrupling the annual tax bill for some cars – would put them off so-called gas guzzlers. Surprisingly, 76 percent of drivers said it wouldn't deter them one jot.

One Lap of the Web: Clooney on Tesla, Wes Anderson goes racing and an Aussie headbutts cars

More than a few Esquire readers were probably shocked to see George Clooney's disparaging remarks on Tesla in a recent profile of the "Facts of Life" star, but here they are if you want to read them. Jalopnik has a short film by Wes Anderson. The subject?

Domagoj Dukec on BMW's 2 Series [w/Video]

Following last week's reveal of the BMW 2 Series Coupé, the carmaker has released a video featuring head of exterior design Domagoj Dukec, in which he talks us through the car's design. The video, which also features BMW product manager Thomas Ebner, sees Dukec explaining how the three air intakes at the front – which also integrate the Air Curtain technology – set a marker for the car's "sportivity", before he explores the way in which new design features such as the grille and headlamps differ from those of its predecessor, the 1 Series. Moving on to to the side profile, he discusses what makes the silhouette typically BMW and what separates it from bigger coupés, while identifying the DLO as a special feature of the 2er.